The woods around Fontainebleau have a reputation as one of the best places in the world to boulder. Thousands of sandstone boulders, with tens of thousands of boulder problems, scattered about a pretty forest that covers some 300 square kilometres. Fontainebleau also has a reputation as being a great place to take kids. That’s a … Read more Bouldering in Fontainebleau with a Toddler

“All the Grindelwald via ferrata are closed.” The woman at the tourist information office said these words in a firm, brisk tone that indicated that she didn’t realise that I would find them disappointing. I knew that there was a risk that the long, cold winter might mean that some mountain routes would still be … Read more A Little Bit of the Eiger – the Rotstock Via Ferrata

In praise of Builders Bars

It’s hard to write about Builders Bars without sounding like an advert. They may only be protein bars, but they are great protein bars. They are also brilliantly convenient if you want to recover after rock climbing and don’t want the hassle of protein powder drinks.

A Builders Bar

Clif, the company that makes the eponymous power bar, makes Builders Bars. They are basically chocolate-coated biscuit bars that contain 20g of protein for building muscle and aiding recovery after exercise. There is even a picture of a ripped climber on the packaging to give you an idea of what to aim for (I’m still trying).

Builders Bars are available in the UK in three flavours – chocolate peanut butter, chocolate and chocolate mint. At least, that is what the flavours are called. Builders Bars don’t exactly taste like these things, but they are not far off. While not gourmet eating, they are very edible and you don’t have a sense you are eating something produced in a lab. In fact, the list of ingredients is topped by natural things such as soya and ends with a host of vitamins. These ingredients also mean that Builders Bars are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

I started eating Builders Bars as a way to help me build muscle. This is not to say I use them to train – I don’t really train in any particularly structured way. I just do things to keep fit and try to do them on a regular basis. A friend who is a personal trainer suggested taking more protein after exercise and I found Builders Bars an effective way of doing that. They are particularly good after exercise in the mountains when they are much more convenient than trying to make up a protein shake and are light enough to justify carry them on the mountain. It’s at these times that I have really appreciated Builders Bars. A few minutes after eating one, I start to feel better. They helped me get through a particularly long, Monroe bagging walk in the Scottish Highlands a couple of Easters ago.

It’s hard not to sound like an advert when talking about them, but I’m enthusiastic for a reason.